


How I Found Out It Was You

by paperinkquillpoet



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Purrs, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawkmoth Knows Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir, Gen, Hawk Moth Wins, Identity Reveal, Ladybug uses the dragon miraculous, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Minor Character Death, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Loves Cheese (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg is a Little Shit (Miraculous Ladybug), Temporary Character Death, no plot really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27649015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperinkquillpoet/pseuds/paperinkquillpoet
Summary: A series of short, disconnected identity reveals with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Purely for fun.Tags vary by chapter and content warnings are in the notes.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth & Nathalie Sancoeur, Plagg & Camembert
Comments: 4
Kudos: 128





	1. Costume Party

**Author's Note:**

> After a few busy months and severe writer's block, I'm back. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A costume party turns into an identity reveal after a case of mistaken identity. It was Alya's fault.

It was Alya’s fault.

For the superhero-themed Ladyblog party, Alya had made Marinette dress up as Ladybug, while Alya and Nino were Rena Rouge and Carapace. Adrien was supposed to dress up as Chat Noir. 

“It’ll be fun, girl,” Alya had said.

It was not fun.

Lila was there, dressed as Volpina, entertaining Alya with outlandish stories. Adrien hadn’t shown up yet. Marinette wanted to fight Lila and leave.

She couldn’t fight Lila, and Lila was blocking the door.

So she’d snuck onto a balcony and was trying to climb down a trellis on the side.

“Hey, Ladybug,” a familiar voice had said, up on the balcony. “Are you having fun hanging out done there?”

Startled, she almost fell but caught herself. She wasn’t Ladybug right now. She was Marinette. But he didn’t realize that. Not looking up, she said, “Hi, Adrien.”

A pause. That should have been a warning. “Hi. What are you trying to do down there?”

The moonlight cast Adrien’s shadow down below her, and she saw cat ears. He’d shown up in a Chat Noir costume like Alya had wanted.

He had thought she was Ladybug, and she had not known how to correct him, so she had answered as Ladybug. “Trying to sneak up to the party,” she lied. Marinette would be leaving. Ladybug was not supposed to be there. And now that Adrien had arrived, it was okay.

She focused on not fumbling and falling as she climbed back up, only briefly glancing at Adrien. Adrien had really nailed Chat Noir’s outfit. She wanted to know who’d designed it. Even his hair matched her partner.

Just as Marinette had crossed back over the railing on the balcony, Alya had walked out. “Marinette? How did you find Chat Noir to come to the party?”

A shocked expression on his face, Adrien – Chat Noir? – turned to Alya and somehow managed to say, “We’ll be in in a minute, okay?” He winked almost automatically, and Alya squealed as she walked back into the party.

He turned back to Marinette and asked, a smile on his face, “Marinette? Is it you, M’lady?”

Internally freaking out, Marinette nodded mutely. She looked like she was going to faint.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to figure out your identi—” He was cut off by arms wrapping around him. 

“Adrien, _Chaton_ , kitty,” she’d blurted out as she hugged him. “It’s okay. I’m happy it’s you.” Well, maybe it didn’t come out quite so coherently on the first try, but she’d gotten it out eventually.

Maybe it was good that they’d accidentally figured out each other’s identities.

It was fun for playing tricks on their reporter friend.

And if poor Alya exploded with the excitement of seeing Marinette and Chat Noir flirting and kissing and bantering like partners for the rest of the night?

It was Alya’s fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will definitely drive Alya crazy if she doesn't die from the excitement of two of her ships sailing.


	2. Purring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one person Marinette knows who purrs.

Chat Noir purred when he was happy.

He was a cat, after all. Cats purred.

Ladybug had been amused when she found out.

“You purr when you’re happy?” she had asked, stifling a laugh. “That’s cute, kitty.”

He hadn’t moved from where he was curled up beside her, getting the much-needed physical contact that his civilian self did not.

But today, it was not Chat Noir who was leaning against her and purring.

Adrien had gotten permission to work on a partner project with Marinette. So after school, he had gone to Marinette’s house, grabbed some pastries from her parents’ bakery, and gone up to her room with her. And while working on the project, they were sitting next to each other. It reminded him of being next to Ladybug, safe and happy.

“What do you think of this?” Marinette asked him, smiling at how happy he looked.

He smiled back at her, and she tried not to melt. “That’s _purr_ -fect.”

“ _Paw_ -lease, you’re just saying that,” she punned back automatically. Adrien was reminding her of Chat, and her instinct to banter with him had kicked in.

Adrien beamed at her, and they kept working. At some point, they stopped working and were instead relaxing, talking and joking cheerfully.

And then she heard a familiar sound.

“You’re purring again, kitty,” Marinette teased, eyes wide.

For a moment, Adrien seemed to panic before he quickly recovered. “Because I’m _feline_ happy around you, Bugaboo.” He grinned and winked, exactly like Chat Noir.

Marinette stared at him, speechless. It was catching up to her that Adrien Agreste was her partner, Chat Noir, who was in love with her, Marinette, Ladybug. This was not how she’d expected their reveal to happen, but it wasn’t bad.

“Cat got your tongue?” he teased.

At that joke, Marinette recovered enough to say, “Not yet.”

And she leaned in and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It came to mind and I just thought it would be cute.


	3. Cataclysm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir accidentally cataclysms Ladybug, then gets akumatized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: major character death (because these two can't have nice things, and you already got a dose of fluff in the last chapter)

The akuma didn’t matter, after.

Nothing mattered.

“Cataclysm!”

“Chat, no—”

The akuma, dodging. His hand hitting Ladybug’s chest.

She went flying with the force of the blow.

The suit absorbed a good deal of it, and she didn’t crumble to dust.

It would’ve been better if she had.

There was a crater in her chest.

It felt like there was a crater in his.

Eyes open, unseeing. Face frozen in shock and pain.

He fell to his knees, vision blurred with tears.

At some point, Hawk Moth had recalled his akuma.

At some point, Chat Noir’s miraculous beeped.

Miraculous.

He could use Ladybug’s miraculous.

He could use her power.

He could fix this.

Chat pulled the blanket, the Lucky Charm she’d gotten during the fight, over her body like a shroud, then grabbed her earrings.

There was a flash of light from under the blanket as she detransformed. Tikki appeared before him, looking weak and sorrowful.

“I’m sorry,” Chat Noir choked out, a mangled sound that barely resembled the words.

Tikki said nothing, just flew under the blanket and retrieved a few cookies from her holder, then sat next to the body, eating slowly.

Then – “Look out!”

The dark butterfly landing on his baton.

Hawk Moth’s voice, promising, “I give you the power to bring people back to life.” In exchange for the miraculous.

“Yes, Hawk Moth.”

He raised the shroud and tapped Ladybug’s—Marinette’s?—chest.

She sat up, gasping for breath, glowing slightly. Her body and clothes had been repaired. Her veins stood out, suddenly dark, almost black, against skin tinted gray.

“Chat?” she asked hoarsely. She reached up, felt her earrings missing.

A look of horror as the memories returned, touching the spot the Cataclysm had hit her.

“I’m sorry, Bugaboo,” he told her. She flinched. “I had to bring you back.”

She looked at him in dismay. “No, you can’t let Hawk Moth win.”

He tried to push her away gently as she reached for her miraculous. The strength from being akumatized meant that she was shoved several feet away, to the ground.

“I’m coming, Hawk Moth.” He grabbed Tikki and jumped away, ignoring her pleas for him to come back.

He landed quickly in front of his own house.

No.

It couldn’t be.

He followed Hawk Moth’s instructions.

Yes.

It was.

Hawk Moth was Gabriel Agreste.

“I need you to do one more thing for me, Chat Noir,” Hawk Moth said.

He was face to face with the villain, his father.

“What, Hawk Moth?” Chat Noir asked. He had no strength to resist the villain, the shock of everything having consumed him.

“Follow me.”

Chat Noir walked after the villain.

Froze.

It couldn’t be, but it was.

Emilie Agreste’s body.

“Mère?” Chat gasped.

He ran over to her.

Put his baton on her chest.

Brought her back.

Hawk Moth smiled, recalled the akuma. Detransformed.

“Gabriel?” She was sitting up now.

Gabriel ran over to his wife.

“Emilie.” He pulled her to her feet, hugged her tenderly.

“Plagg, claws in.” Weak, trembling, still in shock, Adrien hugged his mother. 

* * *

Marinette hadn’t left her room or stopped crying for a day.

She hadn’t been able to find Chat Noir.

Her identity had been revealed against her will.

Her miraculous had been taken.

She’d died.

Her phone was off because people kept texting her, worried.

After akuma-Chat had brought her back, she hadn’t quite looked the same. She was hiding her appearance – gray skin, black veins, like death.

A dark figure, a tap on the window.

Marinette jumped and grabbed the nearest dangerous object. “Chat!”

He put his hands up in surrender. “It’s okay, I just came to apologize and explain.”

She let him in warily.

“First off, I’m sorry for killing you. It was an accident. I should have listened to you. I love you.” He couldn’t look Marinette in the eye until he said the last part.

She softened, dropping what she was holding to take his hands. “It’s okay. You brought me back, and I’m recovering from m-my death. Now explain what happened.”

“When I accidentally, um, killed you,” he began, “Hawk Moth akumatized me. And he gave me the power to bring people back to life.”

“And you brought me back,” Marinette added slowly. “Then you left and didn’t come back. What happened then?” She sounded both curious and a little angry.

“He wanted me to bring back Emilie Agreste.”

Marinette looked confused and surprised. “Adrien’s mother?” Something clicked for her. “Is Hawk Moth… Gabriel Agreste?”

“My father,” Chat Noir said.

Marinette squeaked.

“Plagg, claws in.”

Marinette almost fainted.

“I brought my mother back, and my father handed over these.”

The butterfly and peacock miraculous. And her miraculous.

With a gasp, Marinette took them. Put hers on. Nuzzled Tikki against her cheek.

Adrien continued, “Just like that. He didn’t even ask for the ladybug and black cat miraculous, because he didn’t need them.”

“He only wanted to bring back his wife,” Marinette filled in.

Then she smiled and thanked him.

He smiled back, grateful that she wasn’t mad at him.

She pulled out the miracle box, then put on the butterfly and peacock miraculous and let Nooroo and Duusu appear.

“You might want to talk to Tikki and Plagg and the others,” she said. The two kwamis thanked her and zipped toward the miracle box, followed by Tikki and Plagg.

“You’re a good guardian, Marinette,” Adrien noted. “And, um, please don’t use your Miraculous Ladybug for this. I have my mother back.” He smiled nervously. “I’m happy.”

Marinette nodded in understanding. “I’m happy for you, Adrien.” Then suddenly, “And I- I love you.”

Shocking as it was, it was the least surprising thing that had happened to Chat in the past twenty-four hours.

Ladybug had died. Chat Noir had been akumatized. Hawk Moth had won.

And yet as they pulled each other in for a desperate kiss, everything was right in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, a happy ending. Though I didn't tie up all the loose ends, so have this: Marinette's appearance will return to normal.  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> The short sentences and fragments are for style.  
> Plus I'm trying to stay under a thousand words (this one's like 990-something).


	4. Camembert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg wants camembert. It ends with a reveal. That's literally it.

Marinette wanted to know why Adrien was so shifty and nervous in her room. She’d hidden all the pictures of him, hadn’t she? She wasn’t an incoherent babbling mess for once. What was she doing wrong?

“Adrien?”

He jumped away from the pile of fabric draped over a chair, which he had been poking at. “I’m sorry, I just like this fabric.”

“And I like you,” Marinette said before she could stop herself.

They both blushed, and Adrien joined Marinette to work on the project. Still, he kept glancing around, distracted. At one point, Marinette could have sworn she smelled camembert, but it was probably from downstairs. She’d asked her parents to make camembert pastries last week, when she and Chat had swapped their miraculous to learn about each other’s powers.

Then Adrien was becoming distracted again.

“What’s so interesting?” she asked, and he jumped.

“N-nothing,” he stammered. “So where were we?”

This was awkward. After a stammered answer, they lapsed back into working on their project uneasily, both glancing at the other in concern. Marinette wanted to know what was up with Adrien, until finally she asked, “Are you okay? You can tell me if something’s wrong. Do you want a pastry? Papa is testing out something with camembert.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “With… camembert?”

Marinette laughed. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I can get you one if you want to try it.”

“Yes, please,” Adrien said, more readily than Marinette had expected. Plagg had been eager about the pastries, but it had taken a while for Marinette to warm up to trying one and discover it actually tasted good.

“I’ll get two,” Marinette replied.

Before she could stand up, though, there was a scream and crash from downstairs. “Maman! Papa!” she shouted, jumping to her feet.

She ran to the door, Adrien on her heels.

Then Marinette abruptly froze, almost falling over herself, as she heard her mother say, “Get away from the cheese, you- you- akuma!”

There was another crash, and a shout from her father of, “That’s not an akuma, that’s a tiny black demon stealing our camembert!”

It had to be Plagg. Only he would fly across Paris for another camembert pastry.

Adrien glanced at her. “Stay here so you don’t get hurt.” There was something indecipherable about the way he said it that suggested there was more to his words than protecting her.

Instead of questioning it, she doubled back and raced upstairs, grabbing the fox miraculous. “No time to explain. Trixx, let’s pounce!”

Then she raced downstairs, stopping short and peeking around the corner. The first thing she saw was the dark kwami of destruction phasing through a pan that her father was swinging while Adrien stood petrified.

Yes, it was Plagg, and Marinette had to fix this.

“Mirage,” she whispered, and an illusion Ladybug appeared, walking into the bakery to say “Plagg! There you are. Chat told me you might have come here.”

Plagg grabbed a cheese pastry and took a large bite. Illusion-Ladybug rolled her eyes.

“ _Plagg._ You’re a kwami. You give Chat Noir his powers. You can’t just run off and scare others for some cheese. Come on.” She walked back out, and Plagg reluctantly followed.

Visibly relieved, Adrien looked at Marinette’s parents. Before he could figure out what to tell them, Marinette’s father said, “Sorry for any alarm we may have caused you. Take a few pastries and make sure Marinette’s okay.” He winked.

Quickly detransforming, Marinette stepped into their sight. “Papa, I can look after myself,” she protested.

“It doesn’t hurt to have a charming young man around.” He laughed, clapping Adrien on the shoulder and handing him the pastries.

Blushing, Marinette and Adrien went upstairs again in silence. After a moment of staring at each other, they broke down in nervous laughter.

“What just happened?” Adrien asked.

“I have no idea,” Marinette replied. Which was a lie, she knew exactly what had happened, and she’d have to talk to Plagg and Chat about it.

“There’s no way Ladybug could have known Plagg was here,” Adrien said, slowly looking at her. “Unless…”

Panicked, Marinette stammered, “What are you saying? Of course Ladybug would know! Plagg probably told her!”

But she could see the puzzle pieces clicking together impossibly in Adrien’s head. “He didn’t tell her, and I know that because I’m Chat Noir,” Adrien said. “And you’re Ladybug.”

Oh.

That explained it.

Plagg came here with Adrien, snuck away for food, and got caught. There was no way for Ladybug to know he’d be here, so she’d accidentally revealed herself with the illusion.

Still, she tried to play it off. “What? No! I can’t be Ladybug! Ladybug and I have been in the same place before.” She laughed nervously.

He motioned to the necklace tucked into her blouse. “You’re wearing the fox miraculous, aren’t you?”

Caught in the lie, she nodded.

“Milady,” he breathed, a smile lighting up his face. “It’s you.”

The smile made reality crash down on her, and her expression fell. “Chat, we messed up. Hawk Moth is going to find out and—”

“Marinette.” His voice was calm but firm as he took her hands. “I’m sorry I found out, because you didn’t want me to, but everything is going to be fine. We can support each other. We’re going to defeat Hawk Moth together and then we can do whatever we want.”

Taking a shuddering breath, Marinette nodded. “I hope you’re right.”

“I hope so too. I’m sorry about this and about Plagg.”

“We can yell at him together, can’t we, Kitty?” Marinette had to admit she loved the look Adrien gave her.

“Yes, Bugaboo, we can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after this, they yell at Plagg, and Tikki helps.


	5. Would You Like A Date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is standing at Adrien's door, trying to figure out what she says when she knocks. Little does she know, Adrien's watching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this all at once in a burst of inspiration two days ago and only went back and half-edited it today. Not my best, but it was fun.

Adrien wasn’t quite sure how Marinette had convinced his father, or more likely Nathalie, to let her in, but she was standing in front of his room, visibly nervous. And visibly cute. Not that he’d say that. Marinette always acted strangely around him, so he never let himself think about her as more than a friend. Besides, he was in love with Ladybug.

In any case, he was not in his room, but rather watching from around a corner as Marinette gathered up the courage to knock on the door to the room that he was not in. He didn’t know how to approach her without making things awkward. Especially since Marinette was talking to herself, running through things to say to him, loud enough that he could hear it. He didn’t want to embarrass his friend.

“Hi Adrien. I’m here to work on a project with you.” Marinette shook her head. “Too simple.”

“Would you like to go out with me?” She jumped at the phrasing of her words, glanced down at her purse, and then said, “Ugh, no, I can’t say that.”

“Adrien, your father says you can go out— no, no, no.” She sighed.

Adrien was realizing how stressed she was about this. Maybe walking up to her and talking to her would put her out of her misery.

Marinette raised her hand to knock, then froze. “Maybe I could say something like that. Do you think I should?” She was looking down at her purse.

Then she nodded, seeming more confident, more like the Marinette she was around her other friends. She cleared her throat, batted her eyelashes a few times, and sweetly asked the door, “Adrien, would you like to go out on a date with me?”

What? Adrien stifled a gasp.

She turned a little and answered, in a rather good imitation of him, “Yes, I’d love to go out with you! I’ve loved you since the moment we met!”

He could not believe this. Marinette was in love with him? She wanted him to be in love with her?

She sighed. “No, he wouldn’t say that. He’d say no and he’d never talk to me again and then I’d never get to marry him and—” She broke off and looked down at her purse. “You’re right, Tikki.”

Tikki?

But that was…

That was Ladybug’s kwami.

“What if I introduced myself as Ladybug? ‘Hi, Adrien. I’m Ladybug and I love you!’ And then I could transform and sweep him off his feet and swing off into the sunset with him!” Marinette glanced at her purse. “You’re right, Bunnyx would have to save the timeline again.”

No way.

Adrien was freaking out. “Bugaboo?” he blurted out without thinking. “M’lady? I mean— Marinette?”

Marinette spun around with a horrified screech, tripping over her own feet and crashing to the ground. Adrien flinched and ran to help her up.

“I’m sorry,” they said at once, then looked at each other, a mix of panic and excitement on their faces.

“In here.” Adrien pulled them into his room before Nathalie or his father could stumble upon them. She sank to the ground as soon as he let go of her, and he sat down next to her.

Taking a deep breath, he began to apologize. “I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping. Then I wouldn’t have found out it’s you.”

“I shouldn’t have been talking about my identity in the open like that. Anyone could have found out.” She buried her head in her hands and muttered, “I’m so careless. I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not,” Tikki said. The kwami floated up from Marinette’s purse, having no need to hide now that he knew. She waved at Adrien before looking at Marinette with worried eyes. “Don’t be so tough on yourself, Marinette.”

Adrien nodded and began looking for words to comfort her. Haltingly, he started, “You’re wonderful, Marinette. You’re good to your family and friends. You’re kind to everyone. You’re so helpful, so caring, so beautiful.” She looked up and gasped, and he realized what he’d said. Blushing slightly, he kept going, “You are. But you’re more than that. You stand up for what’s right and what you believe in. You’re strong and fierce and brave. And on top of everything you do in your civilian life, you’re Ladybug. You save Paris with me, and you don’t give up.”

He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. “It’s okay, Marinette. It doesn’t have to seem okay now, but I’ll make sure in the end it’s okay and you’re okay.”

She took a deep breath, glancing around to make sure no akumas were fluttering around looking for her. “Thanks, Adrien.” She gave him a wobbly smile.

He squeezed her hand gently, smiling back at her. “Thanks, Marinette.” She gave him a questioning look, so he explained, “I know we know each other’s identities now, and I know you didn’t want that, so I’m glad you’re not really mad at me.”

Upset as she likely still was, she reassured him, “I would never be that mad at you, Adrien or Chat.” She stumbled over his superhero name, which she hadn’t said so far.

“Thanks.” He smiled, and they fell silent for a few minutes, processing everything, calming down in each other’s presence.

“One more thing,” he said. “I know now’s a bad time, but…”

She nodded slightly. “Tell me.”

Nervously, he told her, “I’d be happy to go out with you, Marinette, if you still want me to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, a cliffhanger. Do you think she said yes? Or do you think she spontaneously combusted?


	6. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Betrayal" sounds sad, doesn't it? 
> 
> Warning: someone dies off-page (off-screen?)

“Ladybug!” Adrien shouted as he saw Ladybug swinging overhead. It was almost time for patrol, and he had been waiting for her. He felt slightly sick with nerves, but he knew what he had to do. Ever since he’d found out what he had. And discovered that she loved Adrien.

She landed in front of him gracefully, a slight blush to her cheeks, her eyes wide and trusting. “Yes?”

“I- I wanted to say that I love you.” He meant it. He did. He touched his bare finger, where his ring should be. Instead it was in his pocket because he couldn’t keep Plagg silent.

Ladybug looked shocked, her face turning redder to match her mask. She leaned toward him. He leaned closer and pulled her in, not pausing to give her a chance to pull away, and kissed her. She tangled her hands in his hair, and Adrien wished he could stay like this forever. That he didn’t have to do this. His hands cupped her face. He traced his fingers along her jaw. Moved up to her ears.

“I’m sorry,” he said against her lips. And then he grabbed her earrings. Pushed her away. Turned around without looking at who she was behind the mask.

He was running, and Ladybug was chasing him. “Adrien!” she yelled. “Why?” Her voice broke.

“For Hawk Moth,” he admitted. His father, trying to bring back his mother.

“Chat Noir will stop you,” she said with heartbreaking conviction.

He froze. “Chat Noir won’t,” he whispered, sliding his ring on his finger. “Plagg, claws out.”

“Chat…” Ladybug whispered. “No. Don’t do this.”

“Give me a location and I’ll explain tomorrow.” He was walking again. “Or I’ll just circle the city until you come in disguise and find me.”

“Please, no,” Ladybug begged, running to catch up to him. Delicate hands grabbed his arm, and Chat pushed her away, trying not to look. He still respected that she didn’t want her identity revealed. “Just come back here,” she said. “We can talk and figure this out. Don’t let Hawk Moth win.”

Her words faded as he vaulted off on his baton.

~

Adrien walked into the same alleyway and, as he’d expected, a dark-haired girl was waiting for him.

“What do you want?” she snapped, all her gentleness seeming to have disappeared overnight. She was wearing the dragon miraculous, and she pointed her sword at him.

Quietly, he began, “M’lady—”

Immediately, she cut him off. “You don’t get to call me that anymore. Now what do you want?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch, then slipped off his ring and added it to the bag. “Here.”

She caught it as he tossed it at her and stared into it in wonder. “Their… the miraculous.” She picked up her earrings and put them on, staring as Tikki fell limp into her hands.

“My father and Nathalie …” he trailed off, struggling. “They were Hawk Moth and Mayura.”

Ladybug gasped, but he continued brokenly, “He wanted to use the wish to bring back my mother. Nathalie took the miraculous and sacrificed herself to do it. One woman he loved for another.”

He was aware he was crying but he didn’t wipe away the tears.

Suddenly she was there, hugging him. It seemed impulsive. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I didn’t know.”

“I wanted my mother back, I didn’t have a choice, I didn’t want to lose everything.” He’d dissolved into a sobbing mess, only held up by Ladybug’s arms until she eased him gently to the ground. He pulled his knees into his chest and hugged himself as Ladybug sat down next to him, pulling away, leaving only a hand on his shoulder.

She didn’t say anything until he’d begun to calm down. “There is no excuse for what you did, even though I understand why you did,” she said slowly. “I can’t forgive you for it.”

Adrien let out a choked cry of distress and nodded. He understood. He never should have done it. He’d gotten his mother back, but he’d lost everything and everyone that mattered to him – Nathalie, and Ladybug, and Plagg, and himself.

“I’m sorry,” Ladybug said, something firm creeping into her voice. She stood up and took a few steps away. He couldn’t look at her for shame. “This is it, and I don’t know what to say except goodbye.” She kept walking away, and he buried his head in his hands. “Actually…” She murmured a few words he didn’t quite catch, and then with a flash of light, she detransformed.

He barely had time to close his eyes so he didn’t see her. “What are you doing?” he asked, voice trembling.

“I thought you might as well know who I am, since your father handed over his miraculous. And I’ve found a good hiding place to keep all the miraculous where only I can find it.” Her voice was close to him again. “Open your eyes.”

He opened his eyes slowly at first, until he registered who he was looking at and his eyes flew open the rest of the way. “Marinette.” As he thought about it, he realized it made so much sense. Another person he’d lost to help his father get back his mother. “Marinette…”

She gave a weak, half-hearted smile and a small nod. “I used to love you. I used to think you were my friend. I used to think you were good.” As the words shattered his heart, she turned to walk away again. It seemed more final this time. “But now… good-bye.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about seeing me again. My parents are going to homeschool me again,” he blurted out, feeling the pain in his words, his voice hoarse.

He knew she heard, but she kept walking, then transformed with the dragon miraculous again and leapt out of sight.

He felt like that was the last time he’d ever see her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically Hawk Moth found out who Chat Noir was and Chat Noir found out who Hawk Moth was, and they decided to work together

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave comments and kudos. If you catch any mistakes, you can let me know. 
> 
> Perhaps taking ideas/prompts in the comments.


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